Acianthera sect. Kraenzlinella (Kuntze) A.Doucette, 2016

Doucette, Alfonso, Timyan, Joel, Henrys, Ingrid & Cameron, Kenneth M., 2016, A tiny new species of Specklinia from Haiti’s Parc National Naturel Macaya and new combinations in Acianthera (Pleurothallidinae, Epidendreae, Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae), Phytotaxa 275 (3), pp. 263-276 : 271

2. Acianthera sect. Kraenzlinella (Kuntze) A.Doucette , comb. et stat. nov.

Basionym: Kraenzlinella Kuntze (1903: 310) . Type: Otopetalum tunguraguae F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. in Kränzlin (1899: 457). Pleurothallis subgen. Kraenzlinella (Kuntze) Luer (1986: 44) .

Acianthera sect. Kraenzlinella includes species broadly distributed across Central and South America without species reported in the Caribbean. The species were previously attributed to the genus Pleurothallis until molecular evidence showed they did not form a monophyletic group (Pridgeon et al. 2001) and the genus Kraenzlinella was resurrected in order to accommodate them. Broader sampling of Acianthera presented here has revealed that the species are embedded within the genus. Acianthera sect. Kraenzlinella species are rare in cultivation and there are no registered hybrids ( The International Orchid Register 2016). Thus, the proposed names changes will have a limited impact on the horticultural community.

The vegetative morphology of the group is similar to that of other sections of Acianthera , but all known species of Acianthera sect. Kraenzlinella have abbreviated stems. The inflorescences are a simultaneously or successively flowered raceme. The species are distinct from the rest of Acianthera in the marginal lobules near the base of the petal on both sides. This section is maintained with eight of the same components previously assigned to Kraenzlinella with two notable exceptions. We have not transferred Kraenzlinella anfracta ( Luer 1994: 92) Luer (2004: 258) to Acianthera as the species appears to be embedded in Anathallis (Doucette, unpublished data). Furthermore, we choose not to provide a new combination for Kraenzlinella rinkei Luer (2011: 326) within Acianthera because that species matches Specklinia montezumae in morphology and geographic distribution, synonymy for the species is provided below.